Understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Abstract Background In Tanzania, teenage pregnancy rates are still high despite the efforts being made to reduce them. Not enough is known about how adolescents experience and cope with sexuality and teenage pregnancy. Over the past few decades, most studies have focused on vulnerability and risk am...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Reproductive Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12978-017-0338-x |
| _version_ | 1819059344912678912 |
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| author | Constanze Pfeiffer Collins K Ahorlu Sandra Alba Brigit Obrist |
| author_facet | Constanze Pfeiffer Collins K Ahorlu Sandra Alba Brigit Obrist |
| author_sort | Constanze Pfeiffer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background In Tanzania, teenage pregnancy rates are still high despite the efforts being made to reduce them. Not enough is known about how adolescents experience and cope with sexuality and teenage pregnancy. Over the past few decades, most studies have focused on vulnerability and risk among youth. The concept of ‘reproductive resilience’ is a new way of looking at teenage pregnancy. It shifts the perspective from a deficit-based to a strength-based approach. The study presented here aimed to identify factors that could contribute to strengthening the reproductive resilience of girls in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods Using a cross-sectional cluster sampling approach, 750 female adolescents aged 15–19 years were interviewed about how they mobilize resources to avoid or deal with teenage pregnancy. The main focus of the study was to examine how social capital (relations with significant others), economic capital (command over economic resources), cultural capital (personal dispositions and habits), and symbolic capital (recognition and prestige) contribute to the development of adolescent competencies for avoiding or dealing with teenage pregnancy and childbirth. Results A cumulative competence scale was developed to assess reproductive resilience. The cumulative score was computed based on 10 competence indicators that refer to the re- and pro-active mobilization of resources. About half of the women who had never been pregnant fell into the category, ‘high competence’ (50.9%), meaning they could get the information and support needed to avoid pregnancies. Among pregnant women and young mothers, most were categorized as ‘high competence’ (70.5%) and stated that they know how to avoid or deal with health problems that might affect them or their babies, and could get the information and support required to do so. Cultural capital, in particular, contributed to the competence of never-pregnant girls [OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.06 to 3.07, p = 0.029], pregnant adolescents and young mothers [OR = 3.33, 95% CI = 1.15 to 9.60, p = 0.026]. Conclusions The reproductive resilience framework provides new insights into the reproductive health realities of adolescent girls from a strength-based perspective. While acknowledging that teenage pregnancy has serious negative implications for many female adolescents, the findings presented here highlight the importance of considering girls’ capacities to prevent or deal with teenage pregnancy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T14:09:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a80b323e66914be19db5e71208cdb84d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1742-4755 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T14:09:37Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Reproductive Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-a80b323e66914be19db5e71208cdb84d2022-12-21T19:01:05ZengBMCReproductive Health1742-47552017-06-0114111210.1186/s12978-017-0338-xUnderstanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaConstanze Pfeiffer0Collins K Ahorlu1Sandra Alba2Brigit Obrist3Department of Epidemiology & Public Health (EPH), Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of GhanaDepartment of Epidemiology & Public Health (EPH), Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)Department of Epidemiology & Public Health (EPH), Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)Abstract Background In Tanzania, teenage pregnancy rates are still high despite the efforts being made to reduce them. Not enough is known about how adolescents experience and cope with sexuality and teenage pregnancy. Over the past few decades, most studies have focused on vulnerability and risk among youth. The concept of ‘reproductive resilience’ is a new way of looking at teenage pregnancy. It shifts the perspective from a deficit-based to a strength-based approach. The study presented here aimed to identify factors that could contribute to strengthening the reproductive resilience of girls in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods Using a cross-sectional cluster sampling approach, 750 female adolescents aged 15–19 years were interviewed about how they mobilize resources to avoid or deal with teenage pregnancy. The main focus of the study was to examine how social capital (relations with significant others), economic capital (command over economic resources), cultural capital (personal dispositions and habits), and symbolic capital (recognition and prestige) contribute to the development of adolescent competencies for avoiding or dealing with teenage pregnancy and childbirth. Results A cumulative competence scale was developed to assess reproductive resilience. The cumulative score was computed based on 10 competence indicators that refer to the re- and pro-active mobilization of resources. About half of the women who had never been pregnant fell into the category, ‘high competence’ (50.9%), meaning they could get the information and support needed to avoid pregnancies. Among pregnant women and young mothers, most were categorized as ‘high competence’ (70.5%) and stated that they know how to avoid or deal with health problems that might affect them or their babies, and could get the information and support required to do so. Cultural capital, in particular, contributed to the competence of never-pregnant girls [OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.06 to 3.07, p = 0.029], pregnant adolescents and young mothers [OR = 3.33, 95% CI = 1.15 to 9.60, p = 0.026]. Conclusions The reproductive resilience framework provides new insights into the reproductive health realities of adolescent girls from a strength-based perspective. While acknowledging that teenage pregnancy has serious negative implications for many female adolescents, the findings presented here highlight the importance of considering girls’ capacities to prevent or deal with teenage pregnancy.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12978-017-0338-xResilienceAdolescentsSexual and reproductive healthQuantitative methodsTanzaniaUrban health |
| spellingShingle | Constanze Pfeiffer Collins K Ahorlu Sandra Alba Brigit Obrist Understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Reproductive Health Resilience Adolescents Sexual and reproductive health Quantitative methods Tanzania Urban health |
| title | Understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
| title_full | Understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
| title_short | Understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
| title_sort | understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy a cross sectional survey in dar es salaam tanzania |
| topic | Resilience Adolescents Sexual and reproductive health Quantitative methods Tanzania Urban health |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12978-017-0338-x |
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